Pride, Hope, Positivity and the Phillies!

Alright folks, 

I think it's time for an update.  Adrianne is in Toronto, shooting a commercial for Millionaire Life Lottery for the 3rd year in a row.  She turned 30 yesterday!!!  I'm in L.A. making contacts, working on student films, having a good time.  

First, I need to mention: The Phillies!!!  

I think I was born a Phillies fan.  I love them above any sports team in any sport.  I am told that I watched them win the World Series when I was 2, jumping up and down in front of the TV yelling "Go Mike Schmidt!" in my cutest voice possible.  I've stuck with them faithfully since then, through the ups and downs (mostly downs).  I've seen them many times at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal and at the Vet.  I saw them once at Citizen Bank Park, and saw Bobby Abreu, Jim Thome and Pat Burrell hit back-to-back-to-back home runs!  

Probably my favorite Phillies memory, since you asked, was when my Dad, James, Jimmy, Bobby and Jimmy Williams went to see a game between the Mets and the Phils in 1992.  Through a friend of the Williams boys we were able to go in the tunnel behind home plate to watch the lat half of the game.  The only person with a better view of balls and strikes was the umpire.  We saw the Phanatic without his mask, the grounds-crew go on and off the field.  It was a close game and Mitch "Wild Thing" Williams made it especially interesting by loading the bases in the ninth and getting the final out on a long fly-ball to deep right field.  Once the game was over, and the Phillies had won, the tunnel door opened and the umpires walked right past us.  On our way out Jimmy Lynn met an old friend of his who worked security at the Vet.  He got the ball-boy to get my brother James and I (lots of James and Jimmy's in this story) balls from the clubhouse.  He came back out with two balls signed by Lenny Dykstra, the Phillies center-fielder, leadoff hitter and my favorite player!  James and I stood outside the clubhouse door and asked the players for their autograph.  It was so thrilling!  What a great day!!!  I'm so proud of the Phillies for winning the World Series this year.  I'm especially proud because most of the talent comes from inside the organization, not from trade or free agent acquisitions.  I think it's a team with a bright future.  

Which brings me to my next point.  I must mention that I'm very proud that Barack Obama was elected to the Presidency of the United States of America.  This is not a political blog, so I won't delve too deeply into this, but he inspires hope in me and I'm very happy to be in the U.S. to experience this change.  I hope he will inspire people to dialogue with one another.  Especially people who disagree with each other.  I'm also very proud that both Canada and the U.S. held free and fair elections this year, both without major incident.  This is something we too often take for granted.  I want to express that I feel very fortunate and grateful to be a citizen of two very peaceful and civilized countries.  

I feel very good these days.  I was dolly-grip on an AFI film this past weekend, and I received offers to work on at least 3 more films in various positions (gaffer, key grip, camera operator, etc.)  I'm meeting many great people at AFI and they all seem to appreciate my work.  Working on these films (for free) is paying off in so many ways.  I'm making contacts, I'm learning, I'm giving of myself (which feels great!) and I'm asking students for letters of recommendation for my application to attend AFI next year.  Apparently they are worth gold to the teachers who decide who gets in.  I've also had the opportunity to attend some classes and conferences.  Our 2nd week here I attended a Q&A with Wally Pfister, ASC.  He's the Director of Photography of such films as Memento, Insomnia (with Al Pacino)(my Dad worked as a camera operator on Insomnia), Batman Begins and The Dark Knight (the 2nd Batman film).  It was really interesting.  He is such a really cool guy with no pretensions and no ego.  It's easy to put great cinematographers on a pedestal and make their greatness seem out of reach.  But seeing him there really de-mystified that world for me.  I saw it as possible for me to be in the same league as him.  I just need to work really hard, learn a lot, push my limits, take risks, etc.  But I am no different than him.  

Today, I saw Darren Aronofsky speak.  He's the director of Pie (as in the mathematical symbol), Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain and the to-be-released The Wrestler.  He's one of my favorite directors, a great storyteller and it was great to see him and to hear him answer questions about filmmaking.  I actually got to ask him a question, but he couldn't answer me.  

That's it for now.  Time for bed.  I feel very positive, and I feel like I can see the possibility in everything and that everything is possible.  I'm working hard to try to build my life-condition to maintain such positivity in every situation.  I truly believe that a positive attitude is the difference between victory and defeat.  And I'm determined to be victorious!  

Peace, 

Dan